


The Tenderness of Wolves

by El-ahrairah (Lillianrill)



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Love, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:07:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26952613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lillianrill/pseuds/El-ahrairah
Summary: The Dragonborn and Vilkas find love unexpectedly.
Relationships: Vilkas (Elder Scrolls)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	The Tenderness of Wolves

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first try at writing so please be gentle with me but do let me know what you think. Constructive comments welcome. Please excuse any past/present tense errors. I have endeavoured to get it right! Honestly!

It was evening in Jorvaskr and the hall was packed with people. The citizens of Whiterun had come to celebrate the life of Kodlak Whitemane and to express their condolences to the Companions. The wine and mead were flowing and a fire was blazing in the pit. It was very uncomfortable.  
I was only dressed in a light cotton shirt and leggings but I could feel my face roasting. I thought it must have been the colour of a beetroot. There was an endless stream of friends and acquaintances wanting to talk and exchange pleasantries that couldn't always be heard because of the noise. I found myself gradually moving closer to the doors and was wondering if anyone would really miss me if I left.  
I finally managed to sneak my way outside to sit under the veranda. The air was blissfully cool and a slight breeze was stirring my hair where some of it had escaped from its tie. As I sat in quiet contemplation I allowed myself to think back on the past week. It had been pretty bad as weeks go and so much had happened. It was difficult to make sense of it all and I had the distinct feeling that some things had changed forever, not least of which was the hole in our lives that had been made when Kodlak had been cut down by the Silver Hand.  
To lose two members of the Companions in such a short space of time was devastating. Aela had been cast into a grief so deep that no one could console her. Skjor had been her mate and I couldn't even begin to imagine what she was going through. Vilkas had shut himself in his room for days, brooding silently by himself. I thought back to how angry he had been with me when I had returned to Jorvaskr after my mission at Kodlaks behest. I don't think he truly blamed me but it hurt none the less. These people were my brothers and sisters, my shield siblings and my heart was breaking for them. I was by all accounts their new Harbinger and there was nothing I could do to ease their pain.  
Just then I heard the doors open and close behind me and somebody approaching. I turned to see Vilkas standing there. He looked different this evening, more relaxed. The pain and anger that I had seen in his face the past week had softend. Maybe it was the mead working its magic. Gone was the armour in favour of something more comfortable, a simple shirt and trousers. It was unusual to see him dressed like this, somehow he looked more vulnerable.  
'What are you doing out here all alone?' He asked in his deeply accented voice.  
'It was hot in there, I've just come out for some air.' 'Mind if I join you?' 'No, not at all.' I replied.  
We sat in companionble silence for several minutes. I was looking up at the stars in the sky thinking how beautiful they looked tonight. When I turned back to Vilkas I noticed that he was watching me carefully as if he was considering something.  
'What is it?' I asked.  
He looked slightly uncomfortable and his fingers went to run through his hair as they often did when he was nervous. It came to me then just how many of his habits and quirks I was aware of.  
'I wanted to apologise.' He offered. 'For the way I spoke to you the other day. I didn't mean anything by it.'  
'Thankyou, but you really don't need to. Given the circumstances I would have been angry too.'  
'Maybe, but that was no excuse.'  
'Grief makes us say and do things that are out of character Vilkas. It's okay.'  
He seemed to accept this and dipped his head in acknowledgement; he then turned to leave. I suddenly found that I didn't want him to go.  
'Vilkas, wait. Would you mind if I asked you a question?'.  
He turned. 'Of course you can, what is it?'  
'Do you think that Kodlak was wrong to name me Harbinger? It's just that I've not been here very long and I have so much still to learn. Surely there must be somebody more suitable?'  
'Kodlak was my friend and I trusted his judgement always. I see no reason to question it now. He told me that you came to him in a dream and that he saw you would be Harbinger. That's good enough for me.'  
'What about the others?' I asked.  
'Don't worry about them, they will accept Kodlaks wishes too. That's the way of things around here.'

Almost immediately I felt a rush of emotions that I had been trying to hold back all week. A mixture of grief, sadness and uncertainty finally decided that it needed an outlet. I could feel the tears burning at the corners of my eyes and I struggled to swallow the lump that was forming in my throat. I hung my head in an effort to disguise how I was feeling. I didn't want Vilkas to see me like this but in the end I couldn't stop and the tears started to fall.

'Hey' He said softly. 'Stop that. If I know one thing for sure it's that Kodlak wouldn't have wanted you to be sad'  
'I know'. I said as I tried to gather myself together unsuccessfully.  
'Come here you.' He said as he opened his arms to me.  
'It's okay.'  
I found myself sobbing into his chest as he held me tight against him. His hands rubbed my back in a soothing motion and I was content to take the comfort he was offering. It felt good to be held, especially by him and I was well aware that I was making the front of his shirt wet but I didn't want to move from his embrace.  
We stayed like that until my outburst had run its course. After a while I managed to untangle myself and looked up at him. Vilkas brought his hands to my face and gently used his thumbs to wipe away the tears he found there.  
'There, that's better'. His hands lingered slightly longer than they should have as he slowly trailed his fingers down my cheeks to my chin. He lifted my face to his and I couldn't help but stare into his eyes thinking how beautiful they were. Nobody's eyes had any right to be that colour, to be that shade of blue.  
I couldn't tear myself away and I swallowed nervously. Slowly Vilkas lowered his head and placed the softest of kisses on my lips. He held me there for what seemed like an eternity before moving away but he didn't take his eyes off me.  
'I'm sorry.' he said, 'I didn't mean for that to happen.' 'It's okay' I replied. 'Really.' This time it was me reaching out for him, pulling him to me, pressing my lips to his. His lips were warm and soft and tasted slightly of honeyed mead. I gently moved my tongue across them to let him know what I wanted and was rewarded when I felt him yield to the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and found my fingers tangling in his hair. I couldn't believe how good he felt against me. When we finally pulled away from each other he was slightly breathless.  
'You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that' he murmured.  
'How long?' I questioned.  
'Ever since that first afternoon in the training yard, when we sparred together. I knew then'.  
'But that was eighteen months ago, why didn't you say something?'  
Vilkas shrugged and gave a small smile.  
'I don't honestly know, scared I guess.'  
'Of me?' I replied.  
'Of rejection.' He whispered quietly.  
'Vilkas, I can't imagine that you have ever been rejected by a woman in your life.' I smiled at him as I stroked his cheek.  
'Yes, well, when you have a brother that looks like Farkas things don't always go your way.'  
'I find that very difficult to believe.'  
' No, it's true, honestly.'  
I found myself gazing into his eyes again and smiling at how lovely I thought he was. I didn't want to stop looking at him. I wanted to take in every little detail and store it away for future reference.  
'Vilkas?'  
'Hmm'  
'Kiss me again please.'  
'With pleasure.'  
This time when we broke apart we were both out of breath.  
'Do you want to go somewhere else?' I suggested. All he could do was nod his head.

Vilkas took me by the hand and lead me up the stairs. He had never been in Breezehome before but that didn't seem to bother him. As he reached the top step he turned to me and took both of my hands in his.  
'Are you sure this is what you want?' He asked.  
I couldn't reply, I couldn't find the words. I just nodded and took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. He smiled and pulled me into the bedroom, closing the door behind us.  
Then his arms were wrapped around me, holding me tight against his chest, his lips were caressing my neck, pressing soft kisses down to my collar bone. I felt myself melt against him and I couldn't help but let out a small moan as my breath hitched when he touched me. His hands slowly moved down my arms and then up my body. I was trembling now as he pulled at my shirt to loosen it. I lifted my arms as he pushed the material up and pulled it over my head in one movement and threw it to the floor. I could feel him tugging at the ties of my breast band but stopped him before he could undo them.  
'Wait' I said. 'I want to feel your skin against mine.'  
He paused as I undid his shirt and pulled it from his shoulders discarding it on the floor with mine. I stopped to take in the sight of him, by the nine he was beautiful. My eyes drank in every inch of his perfectly muscled body, his broad shoulders, his chest with its covering of dark hair, and his sculptured stomach. I could feel my body aching with desire, it felt like I was burning up inside. He made short work of the breast band and added it to the growing pile of clothes. Now it was his turn to stare. I watched him as his eyes roamed over me. I suddenly became slightly nervous and I hoped that he liked what he saw. I need not have worried as he took a deep breath and pulled me against him.  
'I want you' he whispered in my ear.  
I could feel his hot breath against me as his hands ran down my back.  
'I want you so bad.'  
We quickly finished with the remaining clothing until we both stood naked before each other. I could feel my nerves fraying under the intensity of his gaze.

Vilkas took me in his arms and guided me to the bed, carefully laying me down. As he moved over me I could see that his eyes that were usually ice blue were now a deep golden amber. Immediately I felt more than a little scared. 'Vilkas?' He must of heard the tremor in my voice for he stroked my hair lovingly and said 'It's okay, I won't hurt you, I promise.' He began trailing kisses again and I couldn't be sure but his teeth felt more than a little sharp on my sensitive skin. Instead of being painful it only served to highten my desire as he continued to nip and lick his way down my body. I could feel the warmth of his mouth moving lower and when he finally reached my most intimate place I couldn't help but let a desperate moan escape my lips. This was joined by a low almost feral growl from Vilkas.  
'Vilkas, please, enough.' I pleaded. 'I can't take anymore.'  
He shifted his position over me and ran his now sharp fingernails down to my hips as he pulled me closer towards him. Without taking his eyes off me he gently entered me in one slow movement. By the gods he felt divine inside me and all I could do was cling to him. The tight feeling in the pit of my stomach was becoming unbearable and I found myself totally helpless as he made love to me. I had been with men before but nothing had prepared me for this. His rhythm was achingly slow and I became completely undone with his gentle, soft touches and his murmured words of love 'I want this to be perfect.' He whispered.

The tight coil of heat had been growing inside me for what seemed an impossibly long time. When Vilkas' movements started to come harder and faster I could no longer hold on and I cried out as wave upon wave of pure bliss washed over me. Vilkas joined me in his release shortly afterwards and he buried his head against my neck stifling a low gutteral sound as it over took him. At the same time I felt a sharp pain that made me cry out. I bit my lip and tried to push the panic to one side.  
I lay breathless with Vilkas' weight pushing down on me as I let the pain fade into a dull ache. Eventually Vilkas lifted his head and pushed my hair back to see what he had inadvertently done. 'I am so sorry, truly. I didn't want that to happen but I couldn't help myself.' He hung his head, dejectedly. 'I've broken my promise to you, will you forgive me?'  
In that moment he looked so sad that it nearly broke my heart. I reached up and kissed him gently. 'It's okay, I forgive you.'  
He let out a sigh of relief and said 'let me go and find something for that.'  
' No, don't, it's okay for now. Come here.'  
Vilkas pulled the furs up over us and we snuggled down together. I lay with my head nestled into his shoulder and he continued to stroke my hair gently.  
' You do realise that's the third time you have apologised to me tonight.' I asked him sleepily.  
'I'm not doing very well am I?' He sounded embarrassed.  
'Nonsence.' I replied. 'I think you're doing perfectly.'  
'Thankyou' He said quietly and placed a kiss on my head.  
'For what?'  
'For being you.'

Eventually Vilkas got up to go downstairs, grabbing his shirt on the way.I felt suddenly chilly without him there. I grabbed the furs again and sunk into a blissful, happy place. Part of me didn't quite believe what had just happened between Vilkas and I but what I did know is that I didn't want it to end there.  
Vilkas soon returned carrying a small bowl of warm water a clean rag and a small pot of something.  
'Here, let me look at that.' He starts to gently clean the blood from the wound. I turn my head to get a better look at what he is doing. There on my shoulder is a very obvious bite mark. It appears to be reasonably deep and I know that I will be left with a scar. The implications of that bite are both scary and exhilarating at the same time. I knew perfectly well what it meant.  
When Vilkas had finished cleaning he applied some salve out of the pot.  
'There.' He says. 'Not sure what this is, I found it in the cupboard downstairs but it does say healing on the label.'  
'Thankyou. Now, take that shirt off and come back to bed.'  
Vilkas complied and got in beside me. I curled myself backwards against his chest and he wrapped his arms around me. I felt safe and comfortable next to him, he was warm and he smelled good. Eventually we drifted off into a deep sleep.  
I'm not sure how long we slept for but I awoke first and found myself still snuggled against him. I shuffled around in the bed until I faced him. He looked so handsome as I watched him sleeping and I was overcome by a desire to kiss him. As I put the softest of kisses on his lips his eyes fluttered open. 'Hmm, hello you.' He said.  
'Sorry for waking you.' I replied  
'That's okay.'  
We lay, watching each other for a time until he draws me in for another kiss. Soon one kiss leads to another and before long we are making love again. This time I felt so completely consumed by love for him that tears begin to fall again. He lazily kisses them away and murmurs into my ear, 'I love you.'  
At some point after, we must have fallen asleep again only to be rudely awoken by a hammering on the door. I felt myself struggling to wade through layers of confusion as I tried to process what was going on.  
'That's the door' Vilkas observed sleepily.  
'It's okay, I'll go.' I answered as I dragged myself out of bed and scrabbled on the floor for something to cover my nakedness. I finally found a night gown that I'd been wearing previously.  
Upon reaching the door and opening it I was surprised to see Farkas standing there. He looked worried.  
'I'm sorry to disturb you Harbinger but I'm looking for Vilkas. He disappeared last evening some time and his bed hasn't been slept in. I was wondering if you'd seen him at all?'  
'I'ts okay Farkas, I'm here.' I turned to see Vilkas coming down the stairs hastily pulling his shirt over his head.  
'Oh.' Says Farkas slightly puzzled. He looks at Vilkas and then at me, and takes in our state of undress. 'Oh!' He says again as a notable blush started to colour his cheeks. 'Ah, I see. Um, well, okay then.' He mumbled. 'll just be heading back. I'll see you two later.' He turned in a hurry, suddenly desperate to leave.  
'Farkas, wait.' I stepped outside the door after his retreating back and touch his arm. He turned.br /> 'You won't say anything to the others will you?' I asked.br /> He looked at me and sighed. No I won't say anything.'  
Studying him carefully I saw how his eyes moved to my neck. 'What's that?' He says indicating where Vilkas had bitten me. 'Did Vilkas do that to you?' He sounded cross.  
I nodded and had the good grace to look apologetic. 'Damn you woman.' He hissed under his breath. 'He spends one night with you and feels the need to do that? What did you do to him?'  
'I didn't do anything, I promise. Well, not much.' I trailed off feeling embarrassed. Farkas gave a small dissatisfied grunt and then said, 'Harbinger, don't hurt my brother or I will never forgive you.'  
I shook my head. 'Farkas, I would never hurt him, I promise. I belong completely to him now.'  
Farkas visibly relaxed and nodded his head. 'Okay, you best make sure of it.' He then turned and left.  
I went back to Breezehome and hurriedly got dressed. When we were both ready I took Vilkas' hand, placed a kiss on his lips and we walked back to Jorvaskr together. I now felt ready to take on the challenges that would come, mainly because I knew I had Vilkas by my side. However, the first hurdle would have to be faced sooner rather than later; we would have to deal with awkward questions about our relationship from our friends. Somehow I thought that seemed a small price to pay.


End file.
